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The Man and the Sea

THE EXHIBITION

The Man and the Sea is the first public exhibition of the project, The Pattern Tales, for all those who love prints and books.Ro Art Space presents the works (including several exclusively created for the event) of the two artists inspired by two important books of classical literature: the epic Greek poem, Odyssey by Homer, and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by the English poet, S. T. Coleridge.

Ro Art Space, 5-15 December 2016Opening 6 December, 19:00

THE BOOKS

The two masterworks share many traits but one key theme: the long journey of a man against all odds and the sea.Both mariners (Odysseus and the Ancient Mariner) sail through mystic lands with their crew and encounter supernatural forces, Gods, dangerous women and Death. They barely survive the series of mysterious events. Eventually both men are able to tell their perilous tales to strangers and, indeed, this is how they both introduce the reader to their incredible adventures. Surrounded by the enigmatic atmosphere of these two outstanding poems, the artists capture the disconcerting, fantastical spirits of these two tales.

THE ARTWORKS

By using pattern as the pivotal visual element, the artworks highlight the strange connection between internal and external life, but also the feelings, dreams, and instincts of these two men, linked to one, deep, blue fate: the sea.

Between the contemporary and sophisticated artworks in the Odyssey series and the dark and mysterious visualization of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, there is one only message hiding behind those motifs: life involves complex, unknowable, and sometimes disturbing connections between things; it is up to us, humans, to fight against the odds and make the safe journey back home.